Common Teenage Problems: Help Your Child Get Over Them

By

Monica Saxena

 | Wellness Blogger | Certified in Holistic Health & Nutrition | Fully Accredited Professional Nutritionist |

Teenage years are a very sensitive and important part of life that all of us go through. Usually, many have happy moments to cherish about that part of life, but I bet along with that most of us also have some bad, awkward, embarrassing, and stressful memories of it.

Hormonal changes make the voice harsh and the body fuller with fresh growth of hair all over the body, but there is always something to make things look good. A teenager no longer remains your cute and cuddly kid but wants to be loved and cuddled, as he is your child after all. 

Many problems arise during the teenage years, but a parent must be there to acknowledge, guide and make things comfortable for the kid and help him overcome this phase of life. 

Common Problems faced by teenagers

Though, if we delve deep, we can find innumerable problems, pressures and hassles that are being faced daily by teenagers. I am keeping crime, violence and sexual abuse out of it, but still many young developing minds at a tender age are dealing with many difficulties. Let’s find out what are the problems that a teenager usually faces: 

1. Friends or lack of them

While growing up some of our friends are left behind and we keep on making new friends. But the teenage brings out different aspects of friends and friendships. Sometimes a teenager might not have many or any friends. It may be due to a lack of social skills or having a persona that puts off others of his own age. 

Friendlessness might also be possible due to a lack of common interests with his classmates and peer groups. Sometimes teens find it hard to make new friends because they are not sure who is trustworthy.

But it is important to make the teenage kid understand making friends of all kinds, as it is better to have friends with varied interests than be a loner. Being alone all the time decreases your social skills and is unhealthy for the mental and physical development of a kid.

A change of school or sections within a school sometimes leads to the withering of previous close friendships due to lack of time. But you can maintain your old friendship even if you are too busy with your studies or activities. You only need to communicate regularly, commit to meeting on special occasions like birthdays and accept that friendships evolve and change with time and space.

 2. Stress and depression 

Stress and depression are common these days among teenagers; if your child is feeling stressed, their body will clearly show the symptoms. There might be a heart rate going up or breathing getting faster, and their muscles might tense up.

It is important for people of all age groups, especially teenagers, to accept that stress is part of life. Everyone experiences stress, and a little stress is OK for getting motivated enough. But these days teenagers are feeling stressed out as they are worried a lot about themselves — their performance in school or sports; grades; how people behave toward them; others’ perceptions about them; and the changes happening in their bodies. 

Many teenagers acknowledge that low grades and balancing school with extra activities cause stress. They are sometimes irritable or feel overwhelmed due to stress. Stress can be easily identified in teenagers when there are difficulties with sleep, unexplained fatigue, feeling depressed, disengaged, anxious or panicky, having headaches or stomach aches, irritable behaviour along with difficulties with concentration and focus. 

Teen depression is a serious problem that causes a continuous feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. Sometimes peer pressure, academic expectations of others, especially parents, and changing bodies can bring a lot of ups and downs for teens. 

3.  Body image 

Children in this age group are more concerned and conscious about their body image, looks, and clothes. Their focus on themselves sometimes oscillates between high expectations and a lack of confidence. Some young kids experience more moodiness and irritating behaviour.

But kids cannot be blamed alone, as sometimes grownups and society, in general, make them conscious of the changes happening in their bodies. They are looked down on for their height, hair colour, skin colour, and sometimes body-shamed for being too thin or fat.

The least we can do is to understand the changes they are experiencing in their bodies and make them understand the changes they should expect internally and externally while growing up. 

4. Cyber addiction 

Cyber addiction is the bane of this young generation, as this addiction has robbed their childhood and active lifestyle. Sometimes, more than the adolescents, their elders are responsible for their plight. Instead of talking or having any activity with their elders, they waste hours with their digital devices. This can be harmful to their mental and physical health and take away precious study time.

Sometimes forceful confiscation of digital devices by elders can result in rude and defiant behaviour. They need to be handled tenderly but firmly to make them understand the difference between time management and time waste.

5. Other common problems

Peer pressure, competition and rivalries, lack of time management, absence of motivation, bullying, low grades, pressures of assignments, hurt ego and self-esteem due to over-interference of elders and frequent arguments with parents and siblings are some other problems that make things bad for already stressed-out kids. 

These days, young kids are facing all sorts of problems and pressures at home, school/college and all sorts of comparisons and nudging to be better than their peers. Each of them is made to be a part of this race to achieve excellence and choose a distinguished career path. Are we making their life stressful? It is better to choose their life path according to their choice and the best of their abilities.

 How to make your teenage child feel better

You need to understand that this is your teenage kid's transition phase where they need your love and support in abundance. Impart your knowledge and guide them with full trust, rapport, respect and acceptance of their skills and abilities.

As a parent, you need to be more patient and a very good listener. It will be better if you teach your kids problem-solving skills and a positive attitude. They should learn to listen without engaging in arguments and be mindful of their behaviour and responsibilities too.

They need to focus on conflict management at home and outside. The focus should always be on problem-solving, then people or emotions. Let them search for practical solutions to the problems

Showing empathy and understanding and showering them with lots of love and hugs can keep things stress-free for your teenage kid. Try to be a less fussy parent/teacher or mentor.

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